Last summer’s debut album from JIM, AKA Jim Baron of Crazy P AKA Ron Basejam was album of the year for many, a superb, accomplished mix of Balearic singer-song writing, acoustic ballads, soft-yacht and sub-disco, featuring the single “Still River Flow” which again, for many Balearic aficionados, was the tune of 2023.

Vicious Charm dropped a few remixes of JIM’s tracks last year and this album collects them all together along with five more from Mang Dynasty, Brown Fang, X-Press 2, Begin and Chris Coco. No doubt, it’s a risky business remixing something so popular and I was ready to be if not disappointed, perhaps a little underwhelmed, but am happy to report this is a decent project.

The Generalisation dubs of “Still River Flow” and “Across The Street” are maybe the strongest of the previously released stuff. “Still…” gets fattened, stretched, and dubbed out, building into a classic euphoric breakdown, and from a DJing point of view, it can either function as a superb tension builder before you drop the original or has enough vibes for you to just let it play. Likewise, “Across The Street” gets a load of confident bass heavy swagger before the General lets a lush, soaring sunshine breakdown loose.

Of the new remixes, Ray Mang’s “Ballad of San Marino (Mang Dynasty Remix)” is particularly standout, taking a leisurely approach across seven minutes to work up to an epic finale, sounding like a long-lost Italo space disco instrumental recorded by a band of itinerate jazz exiles in one elongated substance assisted session. X-Press 2 opt for deep house for their take on “Phoenix,” keeping it haunting, maintaining the original’s nagging/emotive acoustic guitar figure and Baron’s lilting vocals, resulting in a tense, constantly-on-edge dark-angst-house stalker, while Brown Fang’s remix of “Where The Leaves” is a pleasing whimsical electro-pop oddity. And you also get quality reinterpretations from Crooked Man, Ruff Dug, Chris Coco, Flying Mojito Bros and Begin.

⚪️ Love Makes Magic: The Remixes Tracklisting

JIM: Love Makes Magic: The Remixes (Vicious Charm / 2x12" Vinyl + Digital)
1. Still River Flow (Generalisation Dub) (07:55)
2. Phoenix (Crooked Goth) (10:56)
3. Oxygen (Ruf Dug Remix) (07:23)
4. Ballad of San Marino (Mang Dynasty Remix) (07:45)
5. Still River Flow (Begin Remix) (06:06)
6. Where The Leaves Are Falling (Brown Fang Remix) (05:30)
7. Across The Street (Generalisation Dub) (07:16)
8. Phoenix (X-Press 2 On Fire Remix) (10:30)
9. Oxygen (Flying Mojito Bros Refrito) (07:18)
10. The Ballad Of San Marino (Chris Coco Extended Dub Version) (11:10)

⚪️ Disclosure Statement

This record was submitted as a promo.

⚪️ Previous Coverage

⚪️   Feature: Ron Basejam: Disco Denizen (2019)
⚪️   New Music: Love Makes Magic is a classic-album-in-waiting from JIM (2023)
⚪️   New Music: Ron Basejam delivers the slightly weird but highly danceable goods on “Music People” (2022)
⚪️   New Music: Love & Resistance is another unsurprisingly strong EP from Crooked Man (2023)

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5 Mag Issue 212
Out April 2024

BELOVED: This was originally published in 5 Mag Issue #212 featuring an oral history of Freerange, DJ Paulette, Black Sjuan, Elbert Phillips, Dark Heaven and more. Become a member for $2/month and get every issue in your inbox right away!